


Off the cuff

by madbrilliant84



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Flashbacks, Jewelry, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-12-02 04:38:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11501919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madbrilliant84/pseuds/madbrilliant84
Summary: When things are left unsaid, the subconscious finds a way ...





	Off the cuff

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever Bingo-fic and it's for my first square with the trope °Jewelry (giving or receiving).
> 
> It's also the first time that I've written something that is set during the actual movie plot so I hope I haven't fucked it up too badly :D
> 
> Disclaimer: I own none of the characters and definitely didn't come up with the plot of "Inception". But all mistakes are mine ;)

He had no idea, when they’d started to show up. He usually didn`t pay much attention to what his subconscious came up with clothes wise while they were doing trial-runs. Most of the time it was just a reflection of what he had been wearing topside. But what Eames was pretty sure about was that it had never happened before. Before they were trying to pull off inception, before he was going under again with … with him. Once he had noticed them though he was painfully aware of them whenever he went under. The forger tried to change them, to shake them off but to no avail. Whenever he looked down at his wrists there they were. Golden cufflinks shaped like dice. They were not flashy or big, just shiny and very tasteful. He hadn’t seen them since … Well, since they had thrown the real thing in Arthur’s face two years ago.

xxxx

“You’re serious.”

“Eames, he’s desperate. And he won’t make it without my help. I owe it to Mal…”

“You don’t owe her a fucking thing!” Eames was furious. He couldn’t believe that this was happening. 

“She was my best friend, Eames. I can’t let this ruin Dom. I can’t let her decision ruin him and their kids’ lives. This wasn’t really her and it is not going to be her legacy if I have anything to say about it.”

The hurt that was showing on Arthur’s face was almost too much for Eames to bear but he couldn’t let this happen.

“Darling, I know. I know how much she meant to you but I’m pretty sure she never wanted to throw away everything in order …”

“I’m not throwing anything away, Eames.” Arthur was standing in front of him now, his hands clutching Eames’ shoulder, as if that would make it easier for the forger to understand. “This isn’t going to be forever.” He touched their foreheads together but Eames had kept his eyes closed.

“I’m coming with you.”

Arthur pulled back at that. “What?”

“I said I’m coming with you.” Eames was looking him straight in the eye now. “If you’re going to go on this crazy mission trying to safe Cobb’s crazy arse then you’re not doing this alone.” 

Arthur took a step back. “No,” he said shaking his head. “you can’t. Dom doesn’t even know about us.”

“Believe me pet, I remember. And whose idea was it again to keep this a big secret?”

“WE made this decision, Eames. We made it because it’s safer this way. I don’t wanna have to worry about someone using one of us as leverage on the other. And God knows what I’d do if…” Arthur let the sentence trail off.

“Still you’re just going to leave me behind.” 

“It’s for the best Eames! The less people involved in this the better. This isn’t your risk to take.”

“And it isn’t your right to take this decision away from me.”

“It is because you’re not being rational about this.”

“It isn’t rational to just leave someone behind that you… that you…”

“What Eames, that you what?” But Eames couldn’t look at him. He couldn’t say it, especially not now that the thing he was always afraid of since the first time they kissed was actually happening. Arthur was leaving him behind. He knew that he should keep a cool head, argue that he and Dom would be better off with his help. Inside his head there was just hurt, hurt and anger and disappointment. Arthur had to make a choice and he didn’t choose Eames. The forger knew deep down that he was being unfair, that he wasn’t reacting as he probably should but all of this just felt so final no matter how many times the point man assured him that it wasn’t, that he’d come back as soon as this was dealt with.

Eames looked down at his hands. His eyes fell on the cufflinks that Arthur had given him for his last birthday. When he had opened the box and saw the golden dice sitting in black velvet he thought “The possessive fucker!” They were almost like a mark, a sign that Eames was his, and it made the heat pool in Eames stomach. They didn’t need grand declarations or big words to know what they meant to each other. At least that’s what he thought. Now, he wasn’t so sure about what they were to each other. Or at least about what he meant to Arthur. He yanked the dice from his buttonholes.

“Alright, fine. Make your decision. Run after Cobb like as his babysitter. Clear up a mess that wasn’t yours to begin with but don’t think I’ll be sitting here, waiting for your return like a good dog waiting for his master.” He was close to shouting know and already felt tears prick his eyes. No way though he’d let them fall in front of Arthur. Instead he threw the golden squares at his lover but Arthur didn’t even attempt to catch. He just winced a little as they hit his chest and fell on the carpet of the hotel room.  
Eames nodded once to himself, his decision made. He walked up to Arthur and leaned towards his ear. “I hope it’s fucking worth it, pet.” There was no reaction, no move from his former lover so he strode on and through the door. When it fell closed behind him he waited for a minute or so, hoping that against better judgement that Arthur would come for him. He kept hoping this all the way to the elevator but when automatic doors closed again in front of him he started to descend he knew that he’d just sealed his fate. Arthur wouldn’t show.

xxxx

When Cobb had shown up in Mombasa, Eames first impulse was to tell that bloody lunatic to go fuck himself. But he wasn’t really mad at him. Cobb had no idea about him and Arthur; no one had known (a mutual decision). He didn’t force the point man to make a choice. He was just a desperate man looking for a lifeboat. Eames’ relationship had been a casualty in this whole bloody mess. Of course he knew that things had gotten worse lately. The forger never managed to detach himself completely and so he kept an ear on the ground listening for rumours about his ex. And the whispers in the dreamshare community all went the same way. That Cobb was losing it, that he couldn’t be counted on to pull off jobs anymore. That even the legendary Arthur couldn’t keep him in check.  
And then of course there was inception. The thought of pulling this off… Eames had tried it once before, but he had been too young back then. The team hadn’t been bad but they weren’t close to the kind of competence that Arthur (and Cobb if he could get a grip) would bring to the table. He wanted to try again. He wanted to succeed at this. He definitely didn’t sign on to see his point man again …

xxxx

So Eames put on a brave face (if anyone noticed that his swagger-levels had gone up a point or two now that they were all in Paris together they didn’t comment on it) and tried to get this done. Because for whatever other reasons he might have had to take on this job, he really wanted to pull off inception.  
Thankfully Arthur was in full poker face mode as well. If Eames’ presence had rattled the point man in the least he really did a stellar job of hiding it. Yes, he was bristling. They bickered a lot and argued about everything but that had always been the case. And yes, Eames was maybe being an even bigger wanker than usually but it was the only way to quash down the queasy feeling he got in his stomach whenever he looked at the other man.  
By the end of the first week in Paris he had almost convinced himself that being so close to Arthur was no problem at all. That maybe he had finally managed to get over him. And that’s exactly when the dice started to show up again. They showed up every time the two of them went under together. Thankfully he and Arthur still kept their distance so it was unlikely that the other man had noticed it. And after a while Eames even stopped trying to will them away.

xxxx

The job turned out to be shit show from the beginning. All their planning had been for nothing when the projection had started to attack them at full throttle as soon as they had Fisher in their hands. Thank God that Arthur and him where still so much in sync that they at least managed to keep their mark safe when the bullets started hitting left, right and center. If Eames felt a little satisfaction about Arthur’s panicked voice when he wasn’t sure if the forger had been hit, then he tried not to think about it. And what was a little “Darling” between old acquaintances, right? He was so mad at Cobb that he struggled to maintain his cool demeanor anyway. Was this what Arthur had been dealing with for the last two years? The man must be a saint. Eames is certain that he would have left the unhinged extractor to his own devices a long time ago. Or maybe not. If it had been Arthur in this situation then he would have followed him to hell and back. And when they realized that the only way to escape limbo was to see this mess through, he might just get to test this theory.

xxxx

Eames couldn’t believe that “Mr. Charles” had actually worked out. Just went to show that Cobb was still a clever bastard when he wanted to be. They had all gathered to go down to the last level and Eames was lying on the floor ready to insert the line when Arthur was suddenly kneeling down, looming above him. His heart almost stood still when the point man gripped his wrist. Until now he had completely forgotten about the fucking cufflinks (he was rather busy dodging projections and switching between old geezers and busty blondes) but now he was just all too aware of them. There was no way in hell Arthur wouldn’t notice them now. The point man noticed everything.  
Eames turned out to be right when the other man let his fingers linger just a second too long on his shirt sleeve. The forger tried to keep cool detached expression and was almost successful until he noticed Arthur’s eyes had turned softer. Just an inkling but Eames just knew him so well that he saw the change in demeanor instantly.  
“Security is going to hunt you down.” Eames said, for the first time letting his worry show a little.  
But Arthur just gave him a little smirk. “And I will lead them on a merry chase.”  
Oh, how he had missed the arrogant bastard.  
“Just be back before the kick.” The forger tried for casual again but didn’t quite succeed. His heart did a little leap though when he got a half-smile from the point man.  
“Go to sleep, Mr. Eames.”  
How long since he had heard this phrase, their little in-joke? It didn’t matter. Eames fell asleep with a smile on his face.

xxxx

They did it. They actually did it. Not only did they pull off inception but four of them were sent down into limbo and came back! When he had opened his eyes on the plane he wasn’t ashamed to admit that the first thing he did was search for Arthur’s gaze and he was pleasantly surprised when their eyes met. But they couldn’t do much more then give each other a little nod and a relieved smile. They had to keep their distance although all Eames wanted to do was wrap his arms around the point man and hang on for dear life. Although, even if they had been alone, the Brit still didn’t know if their gentle exchange actually meant anything or if it had just been a side-effect of the extraordinary circumstances.  
He stalled a little at the airport, watching Cobb go through immigration. He was genuinely happy for the man, no matter that he almost got them all killed. People will do stupid stuff when it comes to the ones they love. Maybe that’s why Eames was still lingering, watching Arthur get his suitcase from baggage claim. Eames wasn’t stupid enough though to actually go up to him. The team couldn’t be seen together and he had honestly no idea what he would say to the man. So with a heavy heart he turned around and made his way out of the terminal.  
The Brit was waiting at the taxi rank when he felt someone bump into his side.  
“Hey, easy there mate.”  
“Sorry, didn’t know you were so easily rattled these days.”  
Goosebumps made their way up Eames’ arms when he recognized the point man’s voice and he shot the man next to him a glance. Breaking protocol was so very unlike Arthur.  
“Aren’t we supposed to keep our distance, pet?” Eames said, looking straight ahead again.  
“Yeah, but I’m feeling a little reckless right now, having just managed the impossible.”  
Eames could hear the smile in Arthur’s voice and broke out into a grin himself.  
“Damn right, we did.”  
“You staying in LA?”  
The Brit shrugged. “At least for tonight. Haven’t really made any plans beyond that.”  
Arthur just “hmmd” at that. “Well, I heard Monaco is lovely at this time of year”. Before Eames could answer Arthur had pushed in front of him and jumped into Eames’ cab. He could only stand there mouth gaping while he saw the other man drive away.

Xxxx

Arthur’s words where still ringing in his ears when he entered his hotel room a little while later. Was that an invitation? Was Eames supposed to go to Monaco now? Would Arthur be waiting for him there? At the place where he had left him two years ago? On the one hand, Eames wanted to jump on the next plane and find out. On the other he was terrified of what he’d find there. Could they go back to the way things were? Maybe they couldn’t. But maybe things could get better?  
He was still arguing with himself when he felt something in his jacket pocket. He was pretty sure they had been empty when he exited the airport. When his fingers closed around something small and metallic, he froze. He’d always know the feel of these two golden squares. And when he looked at his palm there they were: two perfect golden dice. The ones in his dreams really didn’t do them justice. Ten minutes late Eames had booked a flight.  
xxxx


End file.
